


Don't Need to Be Saved

by jennarem



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, M/M, spiderman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-07 01:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1880496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennarem/pseuds/jennarem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spiderman AU: Sebastain Smythe has faced a variety of issues in his time as the masked vigilante protecting New York: maintaining a secret identity, having to explain strange bruises and injuries caused by fights or miscalculating an angle and swinging into a building wall, defeating particularly hardy villains. But falling for someone, especially someone like Kurt Hummel? That's an entirely new experience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Tumblr.

Kurt stepped out of the side door of the theater, adjusting his bag over his shoulder and heading down the street.

Rehearsal had gone longer than usual, and it was now past ten in the city that never sleeps. Kurt yawned as he walked towards his apartment, which was only about seven blocks away. He pulled out his phone and began checking his texts as he walked, unconsciously turning down a small side street he usually takes as a shortcut. Once he was about half way down the street, he paused. Something felt off.

About ten feet in front of him, a man leaned against a wall, his hands in his pockets. The street wasn’t well-lit, so Kurt couldn’t make out much of him. He was tall and on the thin side. Kurt clutched his phone and kept walking forward, trying to give the man a wide berth.

But as Kurt walked closer, the man pushed off of the wall and began walking. Kurt’s breathing increased as he tried to think. He glanced at his phone and then turned around, as if he’d realized or forgotten something, planning on heading back to the bigger, more crowded street behind him.

As he turned, however, he saw another figure blocking the mouth of the side street. This man was broader than the other one, and was steadily walking towards Kurt too.

Kurt’s mind went into overdrive. He was trying to remember the self-defense class he’d taken, trying to mentally recreate the sai sword moves he knew and how he could use them without a weapon, thinking of everything he had in his bag and whether any of it could be used as a weapon.

“Hey!” the thinner man called out. Kurt turned slightly, his back to the wall on one side of the street, making sure neither of them could get him from behind. 

“Hey,” he answered, remembering reading somewhere that responding to an attacker makes them less likely to hurt you.

Both men were walking towards him now, backing him against the wall. Kurt squared his feet. His heart was racing and he was starting to sweat, but he refused to give in. Whatever these sickos wanted, he wasn’t going down without a fight.

“What’re you up to?” The larger man asked.

“Oh, you know,” Kurt said, clutching the bag of his strap and trying to keep his voice steady. “Just trying to get home without being mugged.”

The two man glanced at eachother, and Kurt bit his lip. Maybe he shouldn’t aggravate them. Kurt slipped his phone into his pocket and balled his fists, ready for whatever was going to be thrown at him.

Then Kurt saw some movement out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly something _flew_ in front of him, and the thin man was knocked down, and someone else was in the alley, someone tall and thin and _fast_. Kurt couldn’t make them out in the darkness but then they went after the larger man, punching him and kicking his legs out from under him, leaving him gasping on the ground.

And suddenly, the mysterious person was standing right in front of Kurt.

“You okay?” they asked.

It was a man’s voice, a man’s body, covered in a skintight suit, his face obscured by a mask. Kurt’s mouth fell open slightly, because it _couldn’t_ be…

“I, um, you…” Kurt couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence.

Then, suddenly, the man was closer and there was an arm around Kurt’s waist and they were moving, oh God they’re _flying_ upwards and swinging and Kurt looked around desperately, trying to make sense of the lights below them and knowing that his hair’s going to be ruined with all this wind- and then they landed on top of a building.

The man removed his arm from Kurt’s waist, but stayed very close to him. The roof of the building was well-lit, so Kurt could see that his suspicion was correct: Spiderman had just saved him.

“Are you okay?” Spiderman asked him, his voice smooth and low and, okay, kind of sexy.

“I’m fine,” Kurt said, stepping back from the superhero.

It was unnerving to not be able to see the man’s facial expressions beneath his mask. “Don’t worry,” Spiderman said. “You’re safe now. Lucky I got there in time.”

“Actually,” Kurt huffed, stepping back again, “I was doing just fine without you.”

Kurt heard the man let out a small chuckle. “Sure you were, babe.”

“I didn’t need saving,” Kurt told him.

Spiderman nodded slowly. “If you say so.”

Kurt crossed his arms angrily. “Don’t act condescending to me. You don’t know anything. You’re just an egotistic, moronic buffoon in polyester.”

Spiderman paused before speaking. “Well,” he said finally. “You are feisty. But I still don’t see you as the fighting-off-muggers type.”

Kurt uncrossed his arms, and then punched Spiderman across the jaw.

“Get me the fuck off of this roof,” Kurt demanded as Spiderman leaned over, cupping the side of his face.

…

Sebastian slung into the open window of his apartment, landing easily on the wooden floor. He pulled his mask off and walked into the bathroom, switching on the light. He leaned forward, examining his jaw in the mirror. A purplish bruise was starting to form on the left side. That man- lithe, beautiful, fragile-looking- sure had packed a punch. Sebastian had never been rejected so drastically, especially not while in the suit. People were usually kind of turned on by superheroes. Not this guy, though.

Sebastian smiled at his reflection. That was all right, though. He appreciated a challenge. And as Spiderman, he was used to having formidable opponents.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hold on a second,” Rachel said, leaning so far over the table she was practically lying on it, “ _Spiderman_ saved you?!”

Kurt swirled around the coffee in his mug. “He didn’t _save_ me. He practically kidnapped me.”

Rachel rolled her eyes, falling back into her chair. “Kurt, if I were kidnapped by Spiderman I would not be _complaining_ about it.”

Kurt finished off his coffee and then stood up, walking to the sink to rinse out his mug. “Whatever, Rachel. He was an ass to me. I’m just glad it’s over.”

“That’s so _romantic_ , though!” Rachel insisted. “Saving you from bad guys, whisking you up to a rooftop…”

“Provoking me to cause bodily harm,” Kurt muttered.

“What?” Rachel asked.

“Nothing,” Kurt responded, turning to face her and smiling. “Don’t you have to get to work?”

Grumbling, Rachel picked up her bag and left. Kurt sighed, leaning against the counter and running his hand through his hair. He’d thought about not even telling Rachel- he sort of wanted to completely forget the events of the previous night. Hopefully he’d just never have to meet the insufferable superhero again.

…

It was a week before Sebastian spotted him again.

He had criminals to catch and photos to take and nightclubs to frequent. Not to mention that New York City’s a big place, and seeing the same stranger twice isn’t an easy task. But in his idle moments-or whenever he felt his jaw ache- Sebastian found his thoughts wandering back to the handsome, spunky man he’d rescued. So when he was free around ten o’clock, he ended up sitting on top of a pawn shop at the corner of the street where Sebastian had met the man. A week after the initial incident- Friday- Sebastian got there a bit early, climbing up the side of the shop and settling in the shadows at about 9pm.

Only moments after he got there, he saw the man. He was walking away from the theater about a block away, wearing the same blazer that Sebastian had previously seen him in.

He headed down the street, walking past the alley where he’d nearly been attacked. Sebastian smirked. Clearly the man wasn’t as confident in his self-defense abilities as he’d boasted.

Sebastian stealthily followed the man down the street, leaping and swinging from building to building. Several blocks later, the man entered an apartment complex. Sebastian jumped off the adjacent building and sent out a web, anchoring himself to the overhang of the apartments. He swung and braced himself against the wall, and then slowly let himself down to the first floor, keeping himself in the dark. He peered through the window into the lobby. A tired-looking doorman sat at a desk, but the mystery man was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, Sebastian pulled himself back up his web, swinging onto the roof.

He knew the man’s street address, and which theater he spent his Friday nights at. It was a start, at least.

With that thought, Sebastian leaped off the building, freefalling, and then sending out a web and catching himself at the last second, swinging all the way home.

…

Kurt was stretching on the side of the stage on Wednesday evening. It was the first of three dress rehearsals that day for an original musical that one of Kurt’s college friends was directing. He had a moderate part, but he was excited. It was the biggest part he’d had since graduation, and the production was looking rather promising.

Everyone was wandering around the stage, adjusting costumes or mouthing lines or going over dance moves. Kurt finished his stretching routine and then stood still, observing his cast mates and waiting for the rehearsal to get started.

As he looked around the theater, he noticed someone walk in through the doorway in the back and start to head towards the stage. Kurt didn’t recognize the man- he looked young, around Kurt’s age. He was tall and thin, with well-styled brown hair and a half-smile on his face. He had a black bag slung over his shoulder. Kurt watched him walk towards Amanda, the director, with an easy lope. He said a few words to her and they shook hands. Amanda gestured around the theater, and he nodded, backing away from her and beginning to rifle through his bag.

Amanda headed towards the center of the stage, and Kurt jogged over to her. “Amanda,” he said, getting her attention. “Who’s that?” He nodded at the man standing in front of the stage.

“Oh,” Amanda said, swirling a strand of her dark hair between her fingers. “He’s a photographer with the Bugle. Taking a couple of photos for a piece in the paper. Publicity, you know.”

Kurt nodded slowly, watching as the man pulled a camera out of the bag and put its strap around his neck. 

“Okay, everyone!” Amanda called out. “Let’s get started! You should all be in your costumes and ready to go. We’re doing a full run-through, no pauses, and make sure you know your cues…”

Kurt tuned Amanda out for a moment, observing the photographer who was fiddling with his camera. As he watched, the man turned around and faced the stage. He looked up, and his eyes met Kurts’. Kurt inhaled sharply, surprised by the sudden contact. He didn’t look away, though. The man smiled, one edge of his lips lifting and then the other. He slowly brought the camera up to his eye, focused solely on Kurt, and snapped a photo.

Kurt blushed, and turned back to Amanda, thoroughly aware of the photographer still looking at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to point out that, since I first posted this in 2012, I made my Spiderman character creepily stalk the person they liked a full two years before TASM2 made it canon, so....I'll be waiting for my check, Sony.


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt stepped out of the dressing room, finally out of his costume. The dress rehearsal had gone well enough, and he was excited for opening night. He waved to his cast mates as he made his way out, but just as he was heading for the door, someone stepped in his path.

Kurt looked up, startled, to see the smiling face of the photographer.

“Hi,” the man said. “Glad I caught you.”

“Um…” Kurt replied rather ineloquently. The photographer was wearing an undeniably sexy smirk, and his pointed face was nothing short of gorgeous, and his soft brown hair was just begging to have fingers run through it…

“I just needed to talk to you, before you left,” he said. “I need to get your permission to put photos of you in the paper.”

“Oh, right,” Kurt answered, flustered. “Yeah, of course. Sure.”

The photographer smiled. “Great. I got some fantastic shots of you…” for a second, his eyes flickered down Kurt’s figure, then returned to his face. “Anyway, you should take my card. Call me up if I didn’t get your good side, or something.”

The photographer held out a business card, and Kurt slowly took it and read it. “Sebastian Smythe,” he read aloud.

“That’s me,” the photographer answered, his half-smile intoxicating. “And your name is…?”

“Uh, Kurt. Kurt Hummel.”

Sebastian nodded. “Well, Kurt Hummel, don’t hesitate to call me.” He leaned in slightly before continuing. “If you need _anything_ at all.”

With that, Sebastian turned and walked away, slipping out the theater door. Kurt stood, frozen, clutching the business card and wondering if he’d imagined what had just happened.

…

“You have to call him,” Rachel insisted.

“I don’t know…” Kurt answered, staring down at the business card in his hands. He’d only had it for about an hour, and already it was becoming creased from his constant toying with it.

Rachel sighed. She glanced around the lobby, making sure that they were alone. She stood up and leaned over the counter and took Kurt’s face between her hands, forcing him to look at her. “Look, Kurt,” she said quietly. “I know what you’re doing. You’re doubting and second-guessing yourself because it’s been a while.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Rachel, just because I haven’t dated-“

“Kurt,” she interrupted. “Call him. If he said what you told me he said, then he’s interested.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes at her, and they stood there, facing off. Being friends with Rachel, Kurt had learned, was a battle of will.

“Fine,” Kurt relented. “I’ll call him.”

Rachel smiled victoriously, letting go of his face and sitting back down. “Good,” she said. “Now go get us a cab. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Rolling his eyes, Kurt turned away from the counter and headed out of the building. Rachel was a secretary at a talent agency- she had some sort of theory that they’d somehow pick out her talent and sign her a contract if she was close to them. It paid the bills, anyway.

Kurt hailed a cab, and Rachel joined him while he was telling the driver their address. Kurt flipped the business card between his fingers the whole ride. They got to their apartment and Kurt went into his room. It was now nearing ten PM. While that’s not particularly late for most New Yorkers, he figured it was probably past polite calling hours, so he resolved to put off calling Sebastian until the next day.

…

In the morning, after Rachel had left for work, Kurt stood at the kitchen counter, staring at the numbers on the card. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed them.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end of the phone was smooth, and sexy, and sounded slightly distracted. Kurt gulped.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m calling for Sebastian Smythe?”

“Then you called the right guy,” he answered. “Who’s this?”

“Uh, this is Kurt Hummel. We met last night, at the _All’s Fair_ rehearsal.”

“Oh, right,” Sebastian said. “Kurt. What do you need?”

“Excuse me?” Kurt asked, confused.

He heard Sebastian chuckle slightly. “I told you to call me if you needed anything. So, what do you need?”

“Oh, uh,” Kurt felt terribly flustered. He bit his lip and told himself to get his shit together. “I don’t really need anything. I was just wondering if, maybe, you’d like to get coffee sometime?”

“Coffee with you?”

“Yes, with me,” Kurt said. “Like, you know, a date.”

“Ooh,” Sebastian replied. “Like a _date_.” Kurt was pretty sure he’d already known it was a date and was just being facetious. Kurt waited for an answer.

“Yeah,” Sebastian said. “Coffee sounds great.”

Kurt sighed slightly in relief. “There’s an Oren's near my apartment.”

“Right, I-“ Sebastian began, and then paused suddenly. Kurt raised his eyebrow. “Uh, what street?” Sebastian asked then.

Ignoring the strange pause, Kurt told him where the coffee shop was.

“Great,” Sebastian said. “Tomorrow at four?”

“Perfect,” Kurt replied.

After saying goodbye, Kurt hung up, and then clutched his phone to his chest. He sent a quick text to Rachel, knowing that she’d demand to know about it.

 _Coffee date with newspaper boy tomorrow,_ he sent to her.

He got a rather quick reply. _First Spiderman, now newspaper boy? You’re on FIRE, Mr. Hummel._

Kurt rolled his eyes, but laughed. He was giddy with excitement.

…

Sebastian was in a cab, on his way to meet Kurt.

His plan was all going rather well. It had been simple enough to get Kurt’s attention- the flirting, the photography, the business card. If the coffee date went well, which Sebastian expected it to, it would probably lead to a dinner date. And a dinner date would lead to Kurt spread out on Sebastian’s queen size bed, naked and panting. Mission accomplished. The feisty boy wouldn’t be able to resist his charm, even if he didn’t go for the superhero thing. Sebastian still won out in the end.

He’d almost slipped up when Kurt had called to ask him out, though. He _knew_ which coffee shop Kurt was talking about before he gave a location, because he knew where Kurt lived. He’d managed to salvage it, though, and everything was going according to plan.

That is, until he happened to see a tall man look furtively around the street before heading into a jewelry store- and Sebastian caught sight of what was unmistakably the outline of a gun tucked into his pants.

“Goddamnit,” he muttered, before leaning forward to talk to the cabbie. “Let me out here.”


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt had been sitting in the coffee shop for fifteen minutes and been seriously considering leaving, since he’d obviously been stood up, when Sebastian walked in.

Well, maybe he hadn’t been stood up. But his date had been rather late, and Kurt was the kind of person who prized punctuality.

Sebastian spotted Kurt and headed over to him, smiling. His hair was windswept, and his clothes were plain and casual but fit him well.

“Sorry I’m late,” Sebastian apologized as soon as he reached Kurt, taking the seat across from him. “There was a robbery a few blocks away. Tons of police cars. Lots of traffic.”

Kurt pursed his lips, considering. He couldn’t be mad at the man for something that was out of his control… “It’s fine,” Kurt said. “As long as you buy me a new cup of coffee, since this one is cold now,” he added with a smile.

Sebastian smiled right back. “No problem,” he answered.

“Nonfat mocha,” Kurt told him.

“I’ll be right back,” Sebastian winked at Kurt as he stood, and then headed for the cash register.

When Sebastian returned, the two men talked as they drank their coffee. They discussed living in the city- Sebastian, Kurt learned, had gone back and forth between New York and Paris for most of his life, until he settled down in Manhattan after high school. They talked about their jobs, their childhood, their interests. While Kurt had been hesitant at first, he found himself opening up to Sebastian. He found Sebastian funny and intelligent, accomplished and worldly.

And, of course, very attractive.

Eventually they finished their drinks, and Sebastian claimed he had to stop by the newspaper office, so they left the coffee shop.

“I’ll call you,” Sebastian said as they stood, very close to each other, on the street outside. “And I’m not just saying that.”

Kurt smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

They said goodbye, and Kurt watched Sebastian walk away, grinning to himself.

Life was turning up for Kurt Hummel.

His play opened on Saturday night, and the crowd was impressive. Apparently whatever publicity they’d done had paid off, because for a smaller production to nearly sell out was unusual. The first weekend of performances went almost flawlessly, and Kurt had never felt more happy or alive than when he did standing on that stage at the end of the play, hearing the applause, surrounded by castmates. It made everything that he’d worked for in high school and college worth it.

Sebastian called him on Sunday to make plans for later that week, but they ended up staying on the phone for much longer than necessary, just talking. Kurt complained about Rachel singing loudly in the apartment, which turned into a conversation about high school choir and sports and cliques. After hanging up, Kurt had dinner plans with an attractive man and a smile on his face.

Rachel got off work early on Monday night, so the two friends ordered Indian food from their favorite takeout restaurant and ate together in their living room, feet up on the coffee table, talking while the TV played quietly in front of them.

“I’ve been dropping hints for _months_ now,” Rachel said, bemoaning her lack of a performance career for only the millionth time. “Humming under my breath, singing in the hallways, casually mentioning my voice and theater training…”

Sure, it was annoying, but Kurt let her vent. After all, for the past couple months he’d been feeling slightly guilty that he was living his dream while she wasn’t. He figured letting her complain about it was the least he could do.

“Whatever,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes. “I just have to keep persisting.” She reached forward then, picking up the remote and turning the volume up. “Oh, look!” she exclaimed. “It’s your favorite superhero!”

Kurt glanced up from his container of tikka masala to see Spiderman on the screen, being interviewed by a reporter. “ _Rachel_ ,” he complained. “Come on, go see if Top Model is on.”

“No!” Rachel protested. “I want to see this!”

Kurt rolled his eyes and looked at the TV again, defeated.

“I’m just doing my part,” the masked man was saying into the microphone. “Not all of us can save lives, but I can. It’d be a waste to ignore those kind of powers.”

“And is fighting crimes the only thing you use your powers for?” the reporter asked.

“They’re convenient for other things too,” Spiderman answered. Though Kurt couldn’t see his facial expressions, he could practically hear the disgusting smirk in his voice. “But my true power is my natural charm.”

The reporter laughed, blushing slightly. Kurt wrinkled his nose. “Change the channel, Rach,” he said. “I’m going to throw up.”

Rachel sighed. “Fine, Kurt. I don’t know what your problem is.”

“He’s a total prick,” Kurt said, watching as Rachel finally began browsing channels. “He just annoys me.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re just in love with him because he’s a superhero,” Kurt countered.

“So?” Rachel asked, stirring her rice. “I bet he’s _really_ limber.”

Kurt smacked her with a couch pillow. “You don’t even know if he’s cute! You’ve never seen his face!”

Rachel laughed knowingly. “Oh, he’s cute. You can tell by the way he talks.”

“Whatever, Rachel.”

“You’ll come around,” she promised.

“I doubt it,” Kurt said, but his annoyance was fading. They fell into silence, content to watch Tyra Banks hand out photos to teary-eyed girls.


	5. Chapter 5

Sebastian was in trouble.

He wasn’t in a life-or-death fight, going face-to-face with highly dangerous criminals. Nor was he performing a gravity-defying maneuver which would probably end in his demise if he didn’t shoot out a web at precisely the right time. He wasn’t in danger of having his secret identity being revealed, nor was he facing an inquiry at the Bugle about how he always manages to get photos of Spiderman at _just_ the right time. No, his current problem wasn’t any of these.

Instead, Sebastian was in a fancy restaurant, sitting across the table from a stunning young man, drinking wine and grinning at his date. So how, precisely, is he in trouble?

Sebastian was developing some sort of _feelings_ for this man. Not the usual feelings he had about attractive guys- the sexy, naughty thoughts that he was accustomed to, the careful dance that lead up to a heated night together, to be ended abruptly the next morning. No, Sebastian was feeling something different for Kurt entirely. Sebastian was just enjoying hearing Kurt talk. Kurt was intelligent and subtly witty. He had a sharp tongue and easily countered all of Sebastian’s remarks. He was stylish in a way that Sebastian would typically roll his eyes at, but right now he couldn’t help but appreciate the way Kurt’s carefully tailored clothing hugged his body.

Sebastian smiled sultrily across the table at his date, but internally felt confused and unsure. This had never happened before.

After Sebastian had paid the check (“I’m getting it next time,” Kurt insisted confidently. Sebastian noticed that he was sure there would _be_ a next time), they walked out together, not touching but very close to eachother.

“What now?” Kurt asked, his voice lilting pleasantly, sultrily.

And before Sebastian could stop himself, before he could pause and consider the strange emotions that swirled around in his mind, he found himself saying precisely what he’d say to any man after a date. “Well, if you’d like to keep talking, I have a very comfortable apartment.”

And Kurt fell for it, one side of his lips rising, talking Sebastian’s arm and saying, “Lead the way.”

So they walked the short way back to Sebastian’s apartment, surrounded by the lights and noises of New York at nighttime.

They took the elevator up to Sebastian’s floor, just below the penthouse. Sebastian unlocked the door and they walked inside, together and close in the darkness until Sebastian flipped the light switch on.

Kurt stepped slowly forward, looking around. “It’s a beautiful place,” he said.

Sebastian smiled softly. “I’ll get some more wine.”

They sat down on the leather couch in the living room, sipping at wine and talking. The lights were dimmed, but the huge windows displayed much of the city, lights shining out from every building on the island.

Both of their glasses were empty when Kurt leaned forward and kissed Sebastian. He pushed Sebastian back against the cushions, so they were nearly horizontal. Sebastian parted his lips with a sigh, allowing Kurt’s tongue to slip in. He felt his body temperature rising, with the wine and Kurt’s _lips_ …

Kurt pulled away then, his eyes bright in the shadows, pupils large, cheeks flushed, panting slightly. “Should we move somewhere more comfortable?”

Sebastian gulped, staring at the beautiful man on top of him. “Absolutely,” he said.

They abandoned their wine glasses and Sebastian led Kurt to his bedroom, and then paused in the doorway.

“I’ll be right back,” Sebastian whispered, though they were the only ones in the apartment. “Make yourself comfortable.”

He watched Kurt walk into the room with an almost predatory grin, and then turned around and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Sebastian stared at his reflection, loosening his tie.

“Come on,” he told himself. “What is your _deal_? An incredibly hot guy is throwing himself at you.” Despite this, he still felt slightly uneasy. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Just because you sleep with him now doesn’t mean this is it. You can still see him again.” Sebastian chuckled slightly at his reflection. “What a new concept, huh?”

Feeling lighter, he turned around and headed for his bedroom.

.

Kurt looked around the room as he removed his vest and draped it over a chair back. It was a nice room, like the rest of the apartment, though the decorating left something to be desired. That didn’t do anything to staunch _Kurt’s_ desire, however. He wanted this. He wanted Sebastian, so badly. He didn’t care that it was only the first or second date. He hadn’t done this in _so long_ , and finally all the pieces were falling together. Sebastian was handsome, and smart, and clever, and confident, and _so_ sexy. This felt so right.

He continued to observe the room as he waited for Sebastian, when he noticed something peeking out of a trunk at the edge of the bed. It looked so familiar- the shiny blue fabric, with black criss-crosses, but, it couldn’t be…

Glancing at the door to make sure Sebastian hadn’t returned, Kurt lifted the trunk lid, and saw it lying there. Mouth open in shock, he picked the suit up, holding it gingerly in his hands, feeling the slick fabric, the same fabric that he’d been held so close to on that dark night…

“Kurt, are you-“ Sebastian stopped speaking, standing in the door frame, when Kurt turned around. Kurt’s expression was, unsurprisingly, livid. Sebastian’s eyes flickered from Kurt’s face down to the superhero suit, and then back, his expression now apprehensive.

Kurt took a deep breath. “What the hell is this?”


	6. Chapter 6

Sebastian and Kurt stared at eachother for a moment.

“That’s, um,” Sebastian cleared his throat. “I can explain that.”

“Oh, really?” Kurt asked, tossing the suit down, causing the trunk to close with a _bang!_ “I’d like to see you try.”

“I, uh…” Sebastian stuttered. “It’s not that…okay, I can’t really explain it. I mean, it’s obvious.”

Kurt covered his face with his hands momentarily. “I can’t believe I fell for it,” he muttered. “God, I thought you were so fucking charming. But it’s all just a lie, isn’t it? You’re charismatic when you’re not hiding behind the goddamn mask.”

“Kurt,” Sebastian said softly, stepping forward. “It’s not like that. I don’t- Tonight wasn’t a lie, okay?” Sebastian reached out for Kurt’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch me,” Kurt snapped, venom in his voice. “And don’t try to placate me. I know the real you now. No reason to pretend.”

Sebastian pulled his hand back, feeling his heart sink. “The real me?” he asked. “Kurt, this is me. I’m not the suit. I’m Sebastian.”

Kurt glared at him. “Please, leave me alone.” He picked up his vest and then left the room. Sebastian stood there, shocked, listening as he heard Kurt gather his jacket and then slam the door behind him.

Sebastian walked over to the bed and sank down into it, holding his head.  “Way to go, Smythe,” he muttered. “You just had to fuck it up with the one guy you’ve ever _liked._ ”

He glanced over at the trunk below his bed, where part of the suit was still poking out.

…

Sebastian had to admit to himself, as his fist slammed once again into the man’s face, that this might be a bit excessive.

Shortly after Kurt had stormed out, Sebastian had transitioned from feeling sorry for himself to getting rather angry. He wasn’t positive who he was angry at- himself? Kurt? The man he was pummeling? He hadn’t taken the time to examine it that closely. Instead he’d put on that goddamned suit, listened in on the police radio he’d nicked ages ago, and then made his way all the way out to Queens when he heard about an armed house robbery.

The man hadn’t been alone- he’d had an accomplice, a woman, but she’d been too fast. Sebastian didn’t particularly care, though. He wasn’t really interested in justice tonight.

When Sebastian heard police sirens he left the man lying on the pavement, still conscious, and got out of there. The police force grudgingly accepted Spiderman’s anonymous help, and he didn’t want to damage that precarious relationship by being caught brutally attacking a perpetrator. That sounded like something that was against most police protocol.

He felt marginally better as he made his way home. The anger seemed to have drained from him, sweated and spit out as he took his frustration out on the burglar. However, he began to feel something else instead. The rage and frustration had subsided, sure. But in their place was a new feeling, a raw, empty feeling. Sadness, and loneliness. Sebastian might not be angry, but he had lost the only chance he’d ever really _wanted._ Countless successful conquests in his past meant nothing- because those people meant nothing, not in any real emotional sense. Kurt was the only someone who had ever meant something to Sebastian, and now he was gone, and not coming back.

When Sebastian got home it was all he could do to shed that godforsaken suit before collapsing in a depressed heap onto his bed and falling into a fitful, unsatisfying sleep.

…

Kurt was already up when Rachel came out of her room, despite his late night. He hadn’t slept well.

Rachel came into the kitchen with shower-damp hair, and looked surprised to see Kurt. “Oh,” she said as she reached for the coffeepot. “You’re here.”

Kurt stared at her listlessly. “Yes.”

Rachel shrugged. “You weren’t here when I went to sleep, so I figured…”

Kurt scowled into his coffee mug. “Well, you figured wrong.”

Rachel’s eyebrows drew together when she heard his tone. “Bad date, then?” she asked sympathetically.

“No,” Kurt muttered through his teeth. “The _date_ was fine.”

Rachel looked confused now. “Well, if the date was fine then why are you so cranky?”

Kurt held his mug tightly between his hands, wondering whether he could break it if he really tried. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Rachel leaned forward over the counter, bringing her face close to his. “Kurt,” she said softly. “You know that you can tell me anything.”

“I said, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Are you sure?”

Kurt grit his teeth. “Positive.”

Rachel tapped the counter with her finger a few times before leaning back. “Well, okay,” she said, a bit put off. “If you don’t want to talk about that, though, tell me about your date! What’s Sebastian _really_ like, underneath it all?”

Hurt and rage swelled up inside Kurt, and he couldn’t help but yell. “Rachel, why don’t you just go to work and continue begging for a contract, okay? I want to be alone.”

Rachel stepped back, her expression shocked and hurt. Kurt looked at her and then leaned forward, hiding his face in his hands. He hated himself _so_ much in that moment.

“Well,” he heard Rachel say meekly, “If you’re going to be rude then I don’t _want_ to be near you.”

She left the room, and within a minute Kurt heard the door slam. He slid forward, laying his face on the cool tile of the counter. He silently cursed himself, and Sebastian, and superheroes everywhere.


	7. Chapter 7

A week went by before they saw eachother again.

Not for lack of trying, on Sebastian’s part. He spent a day completely ignoring the problem, ignoring the hurt eating away at his chest, busying himself with other things. He tried to block out any thoughts he had regarding Kurt, telling himself that it was silly to get so worked up over one guy. There were millions of others in New York, and he’d only fucked a fraction of them. Why let just _one_ get him down?

But as he lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, he couldn’t deny the truth anymore.

So the next day he called Kurt. It took him a while- a long time staring at his phone, dialing the digits and then erasing them, tossing his phone across the room- but eventually he pressed Call and listened with held breath as it rang, trying to block out the mocking voice in his head.

_“You’ve reached Kurt Hummel. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP!”_

Sebastian let his breath out in a heavy sigh, and hung up.

He tried calling again that night, and the next day. Kurt didn’t pick up either times, and Sebastian had to face the truth- his calls were being screened.

On the fourth night, Sebastian went clubbing.  He went to a place he frequented and he drank and danced and tried to get lost in all of it. There was a guy- a cute guy, but despite his attractiveness Sebastian still couldn’t remember his name- that was shamelessly flirting with him. The guy seemed sort of bushy-tailed, a little bit too obvious. He wasn’t used to the clubbing scene. He was fresh meat, which Sebastian usually relished in. But not that night. He couldn’t get into it, so he told the guy to fuck off and spent the rest of the night seated at the bar.

He stumbled into his apartment, plastered, and fell onto the couch. He switched on the television, and found that it was on a news channel.

There was clearly nothing terribly pressing going on in the city, because they were playing old footage. Footage of an interview with Spiderman.

Sebastian groaned. He _did_ sound like a complete prick. No wonder Kurt hated him.

 _Kurt,_ he thought. _I should call Kurt._

So he fished his phone out of his pocket with some difficulty, and clumsily found Kurt’s contact information. He hit the Call button and held the phone loosely to his ear, listening to the rhythmic ringing.

“Hello?” someone picked up, answering blearily.

“Kurt!” Sebastian exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. The room spun around him.

“Who is this?” Kurt asked.

“It’s Sebastian.”

Kurt didn’t say anything for a moment, so Sebastian decided to keep talking. “I miss you,” he said. “I want to see you. Can I see you now? I’ll come to your apartment!”

Kurt sighed. “Sebastian, you don’t even know where I live. Are you drunk?”

Sebastian didn’t bother correcting him. “I’m sorry. I’m just sorry. Can we please try again? I’ll come over.”

Kurt was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, his tone was flat. “Please, stop calling me.”

“But, Kurt-“

Sebastian, however, was only speaking to a dial tone.

…

“Kurt, this really isn’t necessary…”

Kurt smirked. Even as she said it, he could tell that Rachel didn’t mean it. She was thoroughly enjoying this.

“Yes, it is necessary,” he assured her anyway as he finished lighting the various candles on the table. “I was horrible to you and you should not grant me best-friendship again until I’ve made it up to you.”

Rachel grinned, looking over the homemade meal spread out in front of her. “Well, okay.”

Kurt sat down across from her. “And after dinner, we will have a musical marathon, your pick, and you get to sing along.”

Rachel absolutely beamed. “You’re the best best friend ever,” she said.

Kurt smiled. “I’m glad you think so.”

He was glad that he was finally making amends. His hurtful comment, said out of anger directed at someone else entirely, had created a weird mood around the apartment for the past few days. Now that seemed to have evaporated.

As Kurt began to eat he tried to focus on the food and his conversation with Rachel, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the call he’d gotten at about three AM. Sebastian, drunk. Kurt had been ignoring his calls for the previous several days, but hadn’t bothered to look at the caller ID before picking up in the middle of the night. And now he couldn’t get Sebastian’s slightly slurred words out of his head.

_“I miss you. I’m sorry.”_

Kurt shook his head, blocking it out, resolutely smiling at Rachel.

…

Sebastian tried to call Kurt again on the fifth day, to apologize for his terrible drunk dial, but he once again got voicemail and didn’t bother leaving a message. He had so much to say, but he didn’t think he could stand to say it into a phone with no one listening. He hadn’t sunk that low yet.

The emptiness continued to consume him from the inside out, though. He felt so alone, in a way he’d never experienced. For a few days he’d known what it had felt like to be wanted, as a person. Now that he knew the feeling, he craved it. He needed to know, once again, that he was worth more than his superpowers or his sexual prowess or his impressive bank account. And he wanted Kurt back, too- because he could tell that Kurt was lonely too, and just a little broken. Sebastian wanted to show Kurt how _wonderful_ he was. He’d known Kurt for so fleeting a time, but already he could tell that he was extraordinary. Sebastian needed him back, more than he could ever remember needing something.

So on the seventh day, he decided to go see Kurt in person.


	8. Chapter 8

Sebastian realized that he couldn’t just show up on Kurt’s doorstep- and reveal that he had, effectively, stalked him- so instead he elected to catch him after one of his performances.

He looked up the show times in the Bugle, pleased to find that it was running for another two weeks. That evening he made his way to the theater and bought a ticket, slipping through the crowd silently and taking his seat.

The show started soon after. Sebastian had never really been one for musical theater- he’d enjoyed singing in high school, but musicals just always seemed too cheesy and over-the-top to him. This play, though admittedly pretty good, still lacked a deal of subtlety in portions of it. Sebastian could have cared less, though, because of Kurt. God, Kurt was incredible. He didn’t even have a huge part, but he was flawless. His acting and singing blew everyone else out of the water, in Sebastian’s opinion. Whenever he was on stage, Sebastian’s eyes never left his form.

Once the curtains fell, Sebastian clutched the arms of his seat tightly for a moment, taking deep breaths. Then he pushed himself up and made his way outside, weaving through the people congregated in the theater. 

He went around the building to where he knew the stage door was, and then leaned against the wall, waiting.

People slowly walked out of the door in groups, talking and laughing, some with stage makeup still smeared on parts of their face, some dressed in the all-black attire of stagehands. Sebastian watched them all passively, until, about twenty minutes later, the door opened and Kurt walked out.

Kurt was looking at the ground, so he didn’t see Sebastian leaning against the brick wall only a few feet away. Sebastian’s chest seized up suddenly, his breath frozen in his lungs. Fearful that Kurt wouldn’t even notice him, he moved on instinct and stepped forward, reaching out and wrapping his fingers around Kurt’s arm. “Kurt,” he said.

Kurt jumped, pulling back, and Sebastian let him slip from his fingers. Kurt turned to face him, mouth slightly open, eyebrows raised in surprise. And then, when he saw Sebastian’s face, and his mind registered who it was, his expression fell, becoming one of determined stoniness.

“Sebastian,” he said quietly, somberly. “What are you doing here?”

“I, um-“ Sebastian swallowed. He wasn’t used to having to scramble for his words. “I came to see your show. It was- you were amazing, Kurt. You’re incredible.”

Kurt stared at Sebastian for a second. It seemed as though his eyes flickered with something, changing fleetingly from the cold, hard stare they carried, but it was hard to tell. Finally, he spoke. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I know,” Sebastian said. “But…I just needed one more chance. One more try, face to face.”

Kurt looked down, chewing his lip. “Sebastian, what do you want?”

Sebastian had the urge to reach out and touch him again, but decided against it. He didn’t want to scare him away. “I just…I want _you_ , Kurt. That’s all.”

Kurt laughed, humorlessly. “I’m sorry the feeling isn’t mutual.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Sebastian asked quickly, breathlessly. “I know that you’re angry. I know what you think I am. But I’m _not_ , Kurt. Who I was when I was around you? That’s the real me.” Kurt still wouldn’t meet his eyes, so Sebastian went on. “And I _know_ that you liked me. That you still do.”

“How do I know that this is the real you?” Kurt asked, finally meeting Sebastian’s gaze. “How do I know that you’re not just pretending? That the person behind the mask is the real you?”

Sebastian shook his head slowly. “Don’t you get it, Kurt? I’m always wearing a mask of some sort. And the point of a mask is to hide your identity. But around you…I finally took off all the masks.”

Kurt closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Sebastian stared at him, at the way the streetlamp reflected off his skin, the shadows caused by his cheekbones and strong jaw. And he hoped, fervently, that Kurt would open his eyes and say _okay_.

But he didn’t. Instead, when his eyes flickered open, revealing the piercing blue irises beneath them, his words were harsher than Sebastian had prayed for. “I can’t do this.” Even though his voice sounded slightly broken, he was determined. “I just can’t deal with this. It’s too much.” He then turned and began to walk away, heading to cross the street.

“Kurt, _please_ ,” Sebastian called out. Kurt didn’t stop moving away, but he did hesitate, and looked back over his shoulder at Sebastian.

That was when Sebastian saw it- the taxi, racing down the street, and Kurt, his eyes focused behind him, unaware of it.

Sebastian moved without thinking or considering beforehand. He leaped forward, throwing his arm out. A web shot out of his wrist, wrapping around Kurt’s waist and restraining him. Kurt gasped and stumbled backwards- just in time to see the yellow cab race by him, only a few inches in front of him.

Sebastian ran the few yards to where Kurt was standing, shocked. He grabbed Kurt’s shoulder and spun him around, holding him tightly and staring intently at his pale face.

“Are you all right?” Sebastian asked. “Kurt, are you okay?”

Kurt blinked, looking at Sebastian. Then he looked around the street. It was late, but there were plenty of people on the street. He glanced down at his waist, where the web was still clinging to his jacket.

“I…Sebastian…” he muttered.

“Yes?” Sebastian asked urgently.

Kurt blinked again. “You…anyone could have seen. The web. You could have…people would have known you were Spiderman.”

Sebastian, then, looked slowly around the street and realized there were, indeed, quite a few possible eyewitnesses. Then his eyes returned to Kurt, and he shrugged. “I had to save you.”

Kurt smirked, some color returning to his face. “I told you before that I could take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” Sebastian said. “But I’d like to help out, if you’ll let me.”

Kurt reached up, fingering Sebastian’s collar and not looking him in the eye. “How can I be sure that I’m not just some…conquest? That once you save me you’ll leave me behind?”

Sebastian leaned forward so he could whisper in Kurt’s ear. “I’ve never worked this hard for anyone before. I’m not going to let all of that go to waste.”

Kurt looked up at him then, his eyes wide. And then he kissed Sebastian.

Sebastian sighed into it, letting his hands slide down Kurt’s arms to rest on his waist. After a moment Kurt pulled back. He glanced down at himself, and then reached down to tug at one of the white strands attached to his coat. The web still adhered steadfastly to the fabric.

“Sorry,” Sebastian muttered. “It’s kind of sticky.”

Kurt laughed, loudly, freely. Then he stepped out of Sebastian’s embrace and instead took his hand. “As long as it washes out,” he said.

Sebastian grinned, squeezing Kurt’s hand.

“Come on,” Kurt said. “Let’s go talk.”

And with that, they headed down the street, hand in hand.


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt took a deep breath, filling his lungs completely, and then let it out slowly. He stood in the wings of the stage. The curtain was still down but he could hear the crowd beyond it, chattering and shuffling and getting settled in. It was closing night, and the house was sold out. Kurt knew that Rachel was out there and that they were going to have a night out afterwards. He took another deep breath, running over lyrics in his head. He’d been doing the show for weeks, but he wanted tonight to be perfect.

“Hey.”

Kurt turned around quickly, because he hadn’t heard anyone walk up behind him. No one else should have been there anyway, besides maybe a stage hand-he was the only one with a stage left cue in the first scene.

But when he turned he realized why he hadn’t heard footsteps- because the speaker hadn’t walked up behind him. Oh no. That was much to blasé for someone like Sebastian.

Only Kurt, of course, knew that it was Sebastian. He was hanging upside-down, a web extending up into the backstage darkness, anchored on some of the lighting, most likely. Sebastian was fully suited up, the white eyes of his mask standing out in the darkness.

“ _Sebastian_ ,” Kurt whispered. “You can’t just sneak up on me like that.”

“I thought I’d surprise you,” Sebastian replied.

Kurt couldn’t help but smile. “Well, I appreciate the gesture, but I didn’t know that _Spiderman_ was a theatre fan. If the press sees you what are you going to-“

“Babe,” Sebastian interrupted. “I _am_ the press. Don’t worry about it.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. Sebastian’s cockiness was simultaneously endearing and completely frustrating. It had only been a week since they’d gotten together, but already Kurt felt himself falling faster and harder than he could have imagined.

Kurt heard the curtain begin to rise. “You need to leave,” he whispered.

“Can I see you after?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m hanging out with Rachel.”

“But you _live_ with her,” Sebastian complained. “You see her all the time.”

Kurt smiled. “I’ll come over once she and I are done.”

“Good.”

Kurt looked behind him- the first two actors had entered the stage, and were beginning the scene. His cue was coming up. “You have to go,” he told Sebastian.

“Wait,” Sebastian said. “Don’t I get a kiss?”

Kurt smirked. He reached forward and rolled the edge of Sebastian’s mask down his face, revealing his chin, his jaw, finally his lips. Holding Sebastian’s head as best he could upside-down, Kurt pressed his mouth to Sebastian’s, savoring the warm feeling. Sebastian smiled and it felt strange, oriented the wrong way, but simultaneously wonderful.

Kurt pulled away and replaced the mask. “Go save some damsels,” he instructed.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” Sebastian responded. Then he began to rise, the web shortening, and disappeared into the darkness.

Veins full of adrenaline, Kurt turned and walked on stage. He was momentarily blinded by the lights, per usual, but he knew where he was going regardless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can't have a fic with Spiderman and not include an upside-down kiss, right?


End file.
